Bill Text: TX HB299 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a study by the Legislative Budget Board concerning the long-term effects of regulating tuition rates and amounts charged by public institutions of higher education.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2025-02-27 - Referred to Higher Education [HB299 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB299-Introduced.html
| 89R5381 CMO-D | ||
| By: Meza | H.B. No. 299 | |
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| relating to a study by the Legislative Budget Board concerning the | ||
| long-term effects of regulating tuition rates and amounts charged | ||
| by public institutions of higher education. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 322, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Section 322.0166 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 322.0166. STUDY CONCERNING REGULATION OF TUITION. (a) | ||
| In this section, "institution of higher education" has the meaning | ||
| assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code. | ||
| (b) The board shall conduct a study to examine the long-term | ||
| costs, benefits, and other effects of any legislative action that | ||
| may be taken to regulate the rates and amounts of tuition charged by | ||
| institutions of higher education, including by repealing the | ||
| statutory authority of those institutions to establish tuition | ||
| rates as they determine appropriate. The study may explore all | ||
| topics relevant to the matter, but in assessing the effects of | ||
| regulation, the study must strive to strike a balance between | ||
| promoting the affordability and accessibility of higher education | ||
| in this state and the institutions' need for sufficient revenue to | ||
| maintain educational quality for students and competitiveness with | ||
| other institutions outside this state. In the study, the board | ||
| shall: | ||
| (1) recommend to the legislature an appropriate rate | ||
| or rates of tuition for institutions of higher education compared | ||
| to the rates currently established by the institutions; | ||
| (2) evaluate the potential effects of regulating | ||
| tuition rates and amounts on student access to higher education | ||
| opportunities in this state, including the effect on enrollment by | ||
| disadvantaged or underrepresented Texans, and the potential | ||
| effects on affordability, student financial aid, and student loan | ||
| debt; | ||
| (3) estimate the potential loss or gain of funding or | ||
| revenue by the institutions as a result of any repeal of the | ||
| existing statutory authority of those institutions to establish | ||
| tuition rates; and | ||
| (4) if the board projects that regulating tuition | ||
| rates and amounts would result in a loss of revenue under | ||
| Subdivision (3): | ||
| (A) identify any sources of funding or revenue, | ||
| such as institutional endowments, that would be available or | ||
| necessary to offset the projected decrease in revenue; and | ||
| (B) recommend a specific portion or amount of | ||
| endowment money that could be used to offset the reduced tuition | ||
| revenues. | ||
| (c) Not later than December 1, 2026, the board shall submit | ||
| to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house | ||
| of representatives, and the presiding officer of each standing | ||
| legislative committee having jurisdiction over higher education or | ||
| state appropriations a report on the results of the study and the | ||
| board's recommendations for legislative or other action. | ||
| (d) This section expires September 1, 2027. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
